Chapter 13: What's The Magic Word?
6/8 42nd Street Duke Theater 6:15 PM
I'm a little surprised to see that she arrived before me as I pull up. Talk about punctual...
I park just in front of her, in an open spot by the curb.
"Shino," she says; as if she's surprised to see me.
I scoff. "What? Didn't expect me to show up when I'm the one that set the time and place?"
"N-No. Nothing like that..."
She seems off from the last time I saw her. Like, more off than before.
"I'm sorry," she says rubbing her arm. "My mind just hasn't been in the right place lately..."
"Hey, no biggie. Let's get inside before the good seats are gone."
I lead the way into the theater, to secure some good front row seats. Depending on how tonight goes, I need to find a good excuse to get her alone.
On the way in, I'm about tempted to ask about her wearing a scarf in the middle of summer and the sports tape around her hands. But I hold off. I get the feeling the answer will tire me out just hearing it...
6:27 PM
Place is jam packed with people. It was tough getting seats in the front row.
Whatever kinda act this Kessler kid has going, the fact every row is filled with people speaks for itself. And about a majority of them seem like head-over-heels fangirls.
Well, at least my companion/target isn't apart of that majority. Would make this a lot more annoying. I'm about liable to shoot one of 'em right now just to shut them up.
The girl in question suddenly pipes up. "I'm not really in a position to ask, but are you okay?"
"Just a headache from the screeching sirens in back," I answer; my head pounding like some idiot confused it for a drum.
I look at Hikaru, unable to wrap my head around how she's dressed. It bugs me so much I can't help it anymore.
So I ask her, "What about you? Aren't you hot?"
She looks at me confused, before looking down and tugging her scarf. "Oh, you mean this."
"I'm gonna take that to mean you wear it everyday..."
The way she's holding onto it, I'm guessing it's important to her. I can understand that feeling...
Gift from someone close that passed away most likely.
The clock strikes 6:30 PM. The lights dim and everything goes quiet.
But nothing happens...
From what I heard, these gigs the kid puts on usually start right on the mark. Honestly, I'm a little disappointed. This turned out to be a total waste of time and planning.
"When I could be doing something better than this," I mutter with a sigh. "We might as well jet."
"Wait."
This girl must have a shit ton of patience to wanna stick around longer. When I look back at her, it looks like she's focusing on something on stage.
I look where she is, and I hear the footsteps echo throughout the theater as some blonde kid with short hair in a tacky rainbow shirt and blue jeans slowly walks across the stage. He's cute, but that shirt could ruin someone's eyes...
He stops center stage. And with one eye open, it looks like he's looking out into the audience. With how some of these girls are whispering things like 'Oh my gawd, he's looking at me', this kid must be the main event; Kessler.
A smile spreads across his lips. Then he yells aloud two random words. "Sakura Petals!"
At those two completely random words, cherry blossom petals just suddenly start falling from the ceiling. It's a little dark and it's hard to tell if there's some gimmick behind it, but everyone in the audience seems taken by the sudden gentle shower of petals in the building.
A rain of flower petals...
Knowing that it's fake, I'm not all that impressed.
But one glance at Hikaru, and I see that she's more awestruck than I am; if not just as much as everyone else. Either she's never seen a sakura tree back in Nihon, or she's seeing something that I'm not. Or she's one of those whimsical types that'll believe anything...
I look back on stage, seeing that he's now standing at the edge of it right in front of us. It's not hard to tell his attention's on my brunette companion.
He says another seemingly random set of words, "White Violet," as he holds his hand out to Hikaru.
The next minute, his once-empty hand is holding some kinda flower. Just, literally out of thin-air.
He kneels down on one knee, and offers it to Hikaru; who looks pretty blown away as she takes it from his hand.
He just smiles and winks at her before turning back around and heading to center stage. I can hear a few of the girls around us grumbling in jealousy.
"I can see quite a few new faces in the audience," the kid says; his voice sounding through the mic in his ear, loud and clear. "I'll be sure all you guys and gals get a show you'll never forget! And trust me when I say that I'm not your average magician, with cheap, cliche, long winded as hell incantations! And if you don't believe me, well... By the end, you'll be questioning a lot more than you would at your typical magic attraction."
Kessler lets out a laugh, before he makes what sounds like his big declaration and a cue with a big grin and gleam in his eye.
"You all ready?! Cause it's SHOW TIME!"
As soon as he shouts it out, the falling sakura petals all start flying in a torrent around him.
Everyone in the audience starts shouting and applauding excitedly as the show gets underway. All except for Hikaru; who, as I glance at her, has yet to take her eyes off the flower he gave her.
Her face doesn't look like she's looking for some explanation, but more like she's astonished by whatever answer she must have found; whatever it was...
How do I know that?
This girl has a painfully honest face. Pretty rare trait for the most part, but that just means she's one of those easy to fool types...
Either way, makes my job that much easier.
The show goes on for a good while. Kessler and his assistant pull off quite a few decent tricks. It isn't none of that cliche shit, like pulling a rabbit from a hat, or sawing some chick in half. Though, the only cliche trick would have to have been the disappearing act he pulled with the little 'escaping a box routine.
And even after that, he showed everyone how he managed to get out right before an absurd amount of swords stabbed him through the box.
And even then, no one did much else beside applaud and question, except the skeptics in the audience; not including myself.
It took awhile, but I actually managed to figure out the kid's act. Just cause I'm a bounty hunter by trade doesn't mean I haven't had a few run-in's with supernatural crap.
But hell, anyone with a high spiritual sensitivity can tell at a glance. Our kid magician, Kessler, isn't all that human. Course, he's not all youkai either.
But damn is he flashy as all hell, and not just because of that rainbow dye shirt he's wearing. Seriously; that gaudy cloth is making my eyes hurt with all the light on him...
